Victoire Say “Ciao” to Toronto in Olympic Send-Off

Montreal wrapped up their last game before the Olympic break with a decisive 3–0 win over the Toronto Sceptres.

The last game before Milano Cortina 2026 leaves the Montreal Victoire in a bellissima situation. The nine Montreal Victoire players selected to their Olympic teams leave first thing tomorrow morning, and while for some it will be a new experience, like Kati Tabin (CAN) and Sandra Abstreiter (GER), others are well-seasoned vets who know this feeling well. Scamurra (USA), Mlynkova (CZE), and Ambrose (CAN) will live their second Olympic Games, while Stacey (CAN) and Desbiens (CAN) will make their third appearance. And standing in a league of her own, Captain Canada, Marie-Philip Poulin, will face her fifth Olympics.

Stacey situation similar to Slaf’s?

One thing I struggled to understand was the decision to slot Mlynkova as the 13th forward, especially after her strong presence on the first line last game and overall.
“We’re testing the waters right now with different combinations. You see Stacy side by side with Poulin, and that’s a great combination as well. And it’s not to say that they’ll never go back together again, but we’re also trying to look for different options,” she said, referring to how the team can showcase its depth. She continued by sharing that they are a strong team whether or not Stacey is on the first line.

I believe Stacey on the second line is a good decision. Montreal’s skill was too concentrated on the first line, and as much success as it had, to survive in this league you need depth. This decision feels similar to Martin St-Louis’ choice to put Slaf on the second line. It’s no surprise that Slaf has been playing some of his best hockey and is now part of one of the better Montreal Canadiens lines.

Message received?

Mlynkova, a player fighting for a spot on the right of Poulin and Roque, showed why she deserves a consistent place on that line when she opened the scoring in the first period. When asked if she saw that moment as a way of sending a message, she turned the narrative around, stating she “wouldn’t look at it that way,” and added that when she’s playing alongside the best players, “it doesn’t really matter. Every time you go out there, you want to give it your best.”

How fitting

And with the theme of the night being the Olympic send-off, it was only right that Marie-Philip Poulin extended the lead to 2-0. Captain Clutch will live her fifth Olympic Games. The Beauce native has a chance to join the record for most gold medals at a Winter Games, alongside Charles Hamelin, Jayna Hefford, and Hayley Wickenheiser.

Shiann Darkangelo, voted one of the most underrated players in the PWHL in The Athletic’s new player survey, also put her name on the scoresheet with a second-period goal, further locking in the Montreal Victoire win.

Sights of 2022

Back in net, Desbiens recorded her third shutout of the season, now averaging a 1.15 goals-against average. She’s been playing her best hockey yet, something Canadian fans can feel reassured about heading into the Olympics. Toronto head coach and Team Canada head coach Troy Ryan smiled when asked when the last time was that he saw Ann-Renée this dialed in. With a smirk, he answered: “2022,” referencing her performance at the last Olympic Games, when Canada brought home gold. Cheverie added, “I would agree with Troy. I haven’t seen her this dialed in as she is right now. She’s at the top of her game, and that’s lucky for us with Montreal, and lucky for us with Team Canada.”

Trouble in Toronto

Toronto has been one of the worst teams in the league, losing five of their last six games, but this Olympic break could be coming at the right time. “Sometimes you just need to step back and have a little reset, both staff and athletes. And I think some players may benefit from stepping back from us as coaches as well.”

Ciao!

Montreal currently sits third in the league, a very good place to be heading into the Olympic break. Now our eyes turn to Italy, as the biggest athletes prepare for the biggest stage.